I have been having a heck of a time with my T-C Pennsylvania Hunter, trying to find a load it likes. I had one before which gave me very good accuracy; then foolishly I traded it off and kicked myself ever since. A number of years ago I found this one on line at what seemed to me, a fair price. However, I couldn't get it to shoot well and it went through flints like crazy. I replaced the frizzen and cock to the new style but it didn't really help. I eventually got an L&R Rpl lock for it which solved that problem. Accuracy still wasn't there like my previous one had, and it was terrible for fouling.

I found a drop-in bore light the other day and ran it down. The grooves all had little cross marks; chatter I believe it is called. That explains the fouling build up between shots. I have sent it off to Bobby Hoyt to freshen, with instructions to bore it out to .54 if he feels he can't smooth it out at .50 caliber. We'll see what he comes up with; it will take some time, I expect several months from the way he was talking. I am glad that I have what I call my "hodge-podge" rifle in .45 to use in the meantime!

When you get it back you should have no further problems. At least you know whats going on! My Pedersoli won't shoot for nothin! At 25 yards shots are all over,...I shoot better with my recurve bow!Anyway, maybe its time to get it to the smithy and see about boring it smooth. Good luck with your rifle barrel! I hope it is a great shooter for you!scout4

The barrel arrived here on Monday, a bit lighter as it is now a .542" bore. And, I had sent enough payment to cover the freshening + shipping back. Mr. Hoyt just put a note in the packing slip asking that I send him the extra cost for the boring. Needless to say, that went out in yesterday's mail.

Now to get some .530 and .535 diameter balls so I can put it through its paces and see what load works best. Fun times ahead!

Had the chance to run some loads through the PA Hunter, and am impressed with how well it shoots, 70 gr. ffG powder behind a .535 ball, at 25 yards put three shots touching. That's as good as I'm going to get with 73 y.o. eyes! But I whimped out because of cold hands; I'll try again this Spring!

you are so lucky to have a smith that has reasonable prices.It's next to impossible to have a barrel bored out up here in Canada. $350 .00 plus just to have one bored out to a smoothbore.It is cheaper to buy a mew ML than to have a barrel bored and rifled.

petew wrote:It is cheaper to buy a mew ML than to have a barrel bored and rifled.

That's a burn! I have often wished I had moved to Canada back in the 1970s when I had the chance, but what I hear, gun ownership can be a problem. Back then there were the tight restrictions on hand guns, but not the taxes and other problems you seem to have with long guns. Couldn't find a sponsor, though. I ran that by my cousin in Ontario a while back and he acted less than enthused with the idea that he could do so.

Good to hear from you again! Hope all is going well up in the frozen North!

I haven't done much more with the T-C. Its been mostly a wall hanger this year. I've been doing most of my shooting with the .45 "Hodgepodge" rifle this summer. I do need to get out with the "big" gun and do some more playing around with it.

Hi there WH, Been a while hasn't it. I am sure you would have settled in well here. As to restrictions for the most part it isn't a problem at all. You get a Fed. Gun license ,{ PAL} , for position and acquisition , and you are free to buy and use as you wish for long guns , with a couple restrictions like Mag capacity on semi auto's. where they are limited to 5 shots. Not a problem , why in blazes do I want a 30 round mag ?? I don't pretend to be some para military nut job, and today I am hunting with a 58 TC Big Boar. Hand gun is an indorsement on the license, and requires another training course, 1 day, and about a hundred bucks. The catch is a handgun can only be used on a licensed range. But realy I don't see a problem, I live a lifestyle where I don't live in fear, and think I need to pack heat, or sleep with a Smith and Wesson under the pillow. If a handgun is a genuine antique, it can be used where a long gun can, but that's a slippery slope. Some re-caliber antiques to get around the laws, but if a crime is committed with it , the antique can and will be considered a handgun and a world of hurt is going to happen. It would be comforting to have a pistol in big caliber bow hunting in Grizz , cougar B bear country , calling Elk , but it isn't happening. {Sometimes I bring a 20 ga coach gun with slugs when the grandson is with me and we are hunting with longbows or recurves..}

Taxes can be high, but that's the price for a large land mass, and small population. Infrastructure costs, and Health care funding has to come from some where. It's nice to know we are covered for any doctor or hospital, and don't have a bill to pay after . Some provinces charge a small monthly fee, Alberta doesn't charge, and after 65 yrs old Blue Cross prescription coverage , 80% ,is free too.

Our biggest problem is the sporting industry gouges us on prices, just because they can. Like a re bore of a ML . Its cheaper to buy a barrel up here. Just to have a crown cut they want a fortune , and act like it is some part of rocket engineering. I did my last crowns with a file, square, and rotary carbide bit in a drill , and they seem to be just fine for the muzzle loaders and a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser.

ML supplies are hard to find, but not impossible, and most can be had from track, or other US suppliers without issue. Biggest obstacles are your export laws, not our import laws. For a ML it isn't realy a problem and a flinter is no issue at all.. Probably the hardest thing to get is decent flints , again this is an import thing as nobody seems to stock flint's , it's all inline stuff. I cast my balls and Mini's so no issue there , and get Goex when I see it , so running out isn't a problem.

Taking the grandson out after school today for a real mixed hunt. We can take Moose , white tail , Elk and Muledeer with a bow, and also use a ML for White tails in this area , so its a short bush bow and the big boar coming out today. All bases are covered as the bows are only 50" long and easy to hang from the side quiver going to a blind.

I have a 20" barrel Hawken 50 for Max, but I am hesitant to load it up enough for him to hunt with just yet , we will try him out on the weekend with it , so today he takes a 20ga and a slug with his bow.

Back to barrels I am making him a 20 ML sxs , from an old old ml with bad barrels. I have the barrels I need from a 20 ga coach gun that will suit his size, but finding breech plugs is a problem, and it looks like I will have to make the plugs myself. They just are not available even from TOW. That's a winter project for this year.

Another barrel I want to do is a 54 smoothie, and again its a project I have to do at home with basic tools and welding an extension on the drill bits to reach the bottom , and making guides for the bit. The barrel now is junk and useless so I have nothing to loose but time.

Sounds like you and Max are a team! If he can handle a 20 gauge with slugs he ought to be fine with a Hawken, even with a short barrel. He's lucky to have a Grandpa who will take him hunting!

I probably would have done well in Canada, if I had once been able to get in. But when I was trying to, back in the 1970s, if someone from out of the country found a job the employer would first have to try to find a Canadian to hire; if that was not successful he could hire the foreigner. Can't blame anyone about that, it makes sense. Surveyors were plentiful, and there wasn't an Internet to search for jobs. The official position was also that a foreigner couldn't come into the country to look for work, you could only come in as a tourist. If you played by the rules, and I have always tried to do that, you basically had to have a skill which was needed in order to qualify to immigrate. A lady I knew got in to Whitehorse because she was a veterinarian and they needed one there. Ah well, I guess I can buy some land up there and live on it for 364 days a year, cross back to the U.S. once a year to be legal. Unless that has been changed also!

Okay, Getting ready for bed. Good hearing from you, take care and enjoy that Grandson!

if that was the cost of boring a barrel to smooth I thing I would be investing in a set of reamers and boring my own barrels . as to rifling . that also can be done with your own rifling tools which can also be made with a little time. all one needs to really do is take some time , look back how these guns were originally done by hand . if your capable of building a adequate breech plug set and standing tree for a SXS a rifling setup should be a snap.